Women's Alps

For the female adventure traveler, desires can vary significantly. This is why the Alps, with their unparalleled mountain access, extensive cultural offerings, endless food and wine, as well as world-renowned spas make it the perfect location for EPIC Women’s Adventures. Imagine skiing powder everyday, relaxing in the spa or practicing yoga under the Matterhorn, then dining fireside in your cozy chalet, with you and your 5 best girlfriends. It’s all about skiing the same lines as the guys, but balancing the adrenaline of the day with the pleasures of Switzerland. Not about pushing beyond your comfort level, but the freedom that comes from skiing with other ripping women.

Each trip is designed to meet the specific requests of you and your group. Soak in thermal baths discovered by the Romans after helicopter skiing amongst the iconic peaks of the Alps. Fashion shows in Milan, Christmas markets, private cooking lessons from renowned chefs, world-famous spas – whatever your interests, we have access to the best of Europe. We understand that women are more complex; they don’t want to just ski, they truly want the whole picture: adventure, culture, gastronomy, relaxation and lots more.

Fly into Geneva’s Cointrin International Airport, from every major US hub. Your Epicquest guides will meet you with a private van for a 90-minute ride through the vineyards that line Lac Leman to Verbier, or the 2 ½ hour ride to Zermatt. Itineraries typically leave the U.S. on Friday, arriving Saturday morning and departing Europe the following Sunday.

With bookends like Mont Blanc (4880m) and Monte Rosa (4664m), Verbier sits in the middle of the Alps’ biggest peaks. With over 100 lifts in the 4 Vallées system, the access to quality steep skiing within the resorts is unprecedented. The Mont Gélé tram services a test piece of off-piste skiing, while the backside of Mont Fort provides an itinerary that delivers a two-hour loop deep into the backcountry. And heli runs like the Trient Couloirs and the Petit Combin are amongst the best in Switzerland, true glacier runs that can be longer than 2000m in vertical drop. And with a dozen “little areas that rock”, the mom-and-pop resorts that hold some of the region’s best powder stashes, we’ll be sure to find the best conditions on any given day.

Zermatt has one of the most impressive, and ambitious lift systems in the world. From the 100 year-old Gornergrat railway, a train that takes 40 minutes to reach 3089m, to the Klein Matterhorn tramway, the access is unparalleled. Massive glacier runs like the Theodul Gletscher lie just off-piste, which makes our excellent guides imperative to experience the backcountry potential safely. Other options include short ski tours to the Schwartztor Glacier beneath the Breithorn, or a long run into Italy’s Champoluc Valley. And the heliskiing in the area is Switzerland’s best, with the highest drop in the Alps on Monte Rosa, or the traditional last descent on the Haute Route from the summit of the Tête de Valpelline, which ends under the North Face of the Matterhorn.

The Pennine Alps can receive weather from several different storm patterns that will generate legendary powder. Cold northwestern storms tracking out of the North Atlantic arrive in early winter. Meanwhile, Mediterranean lows can approach from the south and deposit snow on the Italian side of the border. With over a dozen resorts within striking distance, we can always find the best conditions, no matter where the storms come from.

The season starts in early January and ends in late April. Typically the early winter is colder and stormy, while March and April can still deliver dumps, followed by stable periods of high-pressure, which is great for ski-touring.